Afghanistan policewomen numbers need to rise sharply, says Oxfam

Kabul will struggle to reduce domestic abuse and 'honour' killings while women account for just 1% of officers, report warns

A new female recruit of the Afghan National Police. Policewomen in Afghanistan are at risk from both the insurgents they are fighting and communities that frown on them going out to work, Photograph: Raheb Homavandi/Reuters

Only 1% of Afghanistan's police officers are female, and if the country does not dramatically increase the number of women in the service it will struggle to end crimes such as domestic abuse, forced marriage and "honour" killings, a new report from Oxfam has found.

Top commanders in Afghanistan show little interest in recruiting women. When they do join they are deprived of basic requirements such as uniforms and women-only toilet facilities. They get limited or no training, are often assigned menial jobs such as making tea, and some report sexual harassment from their bosses, six months of research found.

"We often don't even have boots, handcuffs or batons," one policewoman from western Herat city told Oxfam. "Even when we are out on operations we don't have a gun for protection. They say we don't need guns as the men will protect us."

Women who brave discrimination and abuse to join the service are at risk from both the insurgents they are fighting and the communities that frown on them for going out to work.

"Afghan policewomen are risking their lives to serve their communities. They are harassed and killed because of stigma and ignorance," said Elizabeth Cameron, Oxfam's policy and advocacy advisor in Afghanistan.

Changing attitudes inside the force, and challenging social prejudices against women going out to work as police officers, is vital if Afghanistan wants to curb a disturbing rate of abuse.

Last year the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported 6,000 complaints of violence against women, up a quarter from 2011. But that is believed to be just a tiny fraction of cases, because most victims will not go to the police even when their lives are at risk.

"Significant under-reporting – which contributes to the lack of prosecutions and a culture of impunity – occurs partly because social norms prevent most Afghan women from approaching male police officers," the report said. "Few Afghans ever see a policewoman, leaving most women and girls unable to report crimes and threats against them."

With many female officers stuck in menial jobs, the effective pool of women they can turn to for help is even smaller. "I am proud of what I do, but I want to help women who are victims of violence," said Pari Gul, a 28-year-old mother of three, who has worked as a patrolwoman in eastern Kabul for five years and mostly searches visitors to government buildings.

Oxfam called on the government to improve recruitment, work to end social stigma against joining the force, and take rapid and concrete measures to ensure female officers are safe at work so they can tackle the cases of women at risk in their communities.

The international community needs to attach more conditions about recruiting and retaining women officers on the hundreds of millions of dollars it spends on the Afghan police, the report said. It should also keep better track of how many women officers are serving, their conditions and opportunities, and try to mentor them to ensure they progress beyond a token presence.